Electrical connector



Jan. 4, 1944.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 8, 1942 J. ByCAMPBELL 2,338,281

2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Patented Jan. 4, 1944 gan ta.

2-,338,28l ELECTRICAL connec or;

John Bernard Campbell, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, ,7 Ganada ll e tember 8,1942, eam. 457 63 2 Claims.

The n en n whi s o. mpr ements i electrical connectors of the; type consisting of a receptacle and a separable plug and more par ticularly t an arrangement. of this character incorporating self-locking features, whereby the electrical connection eiiected by assembling the r e n the r e v s t d bedhr n P1 1 upon the cord attached to theplug and separai (Cl. IV3r-343) tion of the plug from the receivercan be efiected only by moving the plug body relative, to the. receiver, and; the primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and eiilcient device of this character. 1

Other important objectsv and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration 1 have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a general side elevational view. of the connector showing the plug assembledwith the receiver. i

Figure 2 is a general transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure'l.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the plug partly separated from the re-, ceiver and with portions cut away to disclose internal construction.

Figure 4 is a horizontal View taken through Figure 1 along the line 4-4 and looking upwardly in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken through Figure 4 along the line 5-5 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a top plan view of the receiver.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the receiver which consists of a generally cylindrical insulated body 6 having a threaded metal ferrule I on its lower part to screw into a wall socket or the like (not shown). A center contact 8 is arranged in a usual manner at the center of the bottom of the receiver. The receiver body 6 is formed longitudinally with a pair of diametrically opposed laterally spaced channels 9 and I0 whose inner sides H are substantially straight and parallel to the axis of the receiver and whose outer sides are divergently and upwardly tapered so that there is a wider aperture toward the upper part of the channels than at the lower end thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Adjacent the upper ends of the channels the outer divergent walls have shoulders I2 whose aces e ub ta ly at i ht an e h seem he ec i er ma ee/ L11 d projecting in a radially inward direction fr the u e wa s 4 nd ein nw r y d,

inwardly. ur ed at their pp part as b h umerals I5, Y

The plug which i enerally! d si nated J15. comprisesa cylindrical dielectric bod'yfl'lj "hieli has a depending a mun 'nmjlrnq ri Cally o p f d s Wh t ei radially inward direction two" dia aligned lugs 18 7 tom" lsfor the plug' body p oper; An'axim b 20 is provided in the plug bodyto pa: the-Tel N trical cord 2i into the hollow portion of the lug body to allow the wires 22 and zs ort re'corq to be connected in a manner to be described.

The plug has two'similar spr" prongs er blades 24]"e en"or'wmcn'compn e as ht innerlo'ngitudinal portion zawmen terr'fii at its upper end in a substantially righta an and laterally bent 'pbrtion zsjywruie minating at the oppositeendin a h'ai'rpi'n pend 21 which leadsinto"an' upwafdly and'l'ate ifahy outwardly deflected portrait 2a which adjacent its upper end ha's'a'ri'ght angularl yfand iaterany inwardly directed "lock ortion i9'ftdcbn'fdim to the shoulder 12, the lock pfdruoirze' having-an upwardly and laterally outwardly curved cam portion '30 which substantially co'nforinstdtlie curvature l5 above the shoulder and also with the curvature of slots 31 which are formed in the lugs l8 of the plug body. The prongs or blades have the portions 25 and 28 thereof sprung to have divergent tendencies so that the portions 25 normally engage the inner walls II,v of the channels 9 and I0 whereas the portions 28 normally engage the outer walls [4 of the.

said channels. In view of the normal tendency'of the portions 28 in a laterally outward direction, once the prongs are fully inserted in the channels of the receiver, the lock portions 29 engage under the shoulders I2 and positively lock the prongs against withdrawal by any means which does not effect laterally inward movement of the portions 28 of the prongs and consequent dis-.- placement of the lock portions 29 from the shoulders l2. Suitable contact means for engagement by the prongs is provided within the receiver to effect electrical connection with the ferrule I and with the center contact 8.

The laterally inward portions of the parts 25 on the upper ends of the prongs have binding post screws 32 and 33 located in oppositely projecting lateral lugs 34 and 35 arranged within the space between the lugs I8 and the top l9 of the plug body, to which the Wires 22 and 23 are fastened in a usual manner. In addition the parts 25' have small lugs or pins 36 arranged in pairs, and between them an upset portion 31, both the pins and the upset portion being loosely arranged in accommodating openings formed in the top IQ of the body, so that the parts 25' are free for verticalor axial motion in the plug body limited only by the space between the top surface I9 and the upper surface of the lugs l8. In constructing the device of the invention this spacewill be gauged to provide for sufficient movement a ward deflection of the portions 28 of the said prongs and unseating of the lock portions 29 from the lockingshoulders I2, in which condition the prongs may be withdrawn from the channels 9 and I0 and the plug l6 entirely separated from the receiver 5. It will be observed that to lockably connect the plug to the receiver and to lock the rongs of the plug in the channels of the receiver it is necessary only to bring the plug and receiver together in the usual manner. V Although there is shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be definitely understood that it is not desired to limit the application of the invention thereto except as may be required by the scope of the sub- J'oined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: I, ,1. A self-locking electrical connector of the character indicated, said connector comprising a receiver consisting of a dielectric body formed with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally arranged channels, the laterally outward ;walls of said channels having radially inwardly projecting locking shoulders, a plug having a pair of diametrically arranged laterally spaced spring prongs thereon, said prongs being arranged to enter the said channels as the plug and receiver .are assembled, said prongs having outwardly spring-pressed portions including locking knees adapted to; engage under said locking shoulders on the'outer walls of the channels to positively prevent withdrawal of the prongs from contact position in the receiver, said outwardly springpressed locking knees of the prongs being formed with cam surfaces, and portions of said plug being formed with cam surfaces cooperating with the first-mentioned cam surfaces, and means permitting limited axial movement of the plug relatively to the prongs, whereby withdrawal movement of the plug relative to the receiver produces laterally inward deflection of the spring-pressed portions of the prongs so as to dislodge the locking portions from the locking shoulders and allow the prongs to be withdrawn from the channels.

2; A self-locking electrical connector of the character indicated, said connector comprising a receiver consisting of a dielectric body formed with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally arranged channels, the laterally outward walls of said channels having radially inwardly projecting locking shoulders, a plug having a pair of diametrically arranged laterally spaced spring prongs thereon, said prongs being arranged to enter the said channels as the plug and receiver are assembled, said prongs having outwardly spring-pressed portions including locking knees adapted to engage under said locking shoulders on the outer walls of the channels to positively prevent withdrawal of the prongs from contact position in the receiver, said outwardly springpressed locking knees of the prongs being formed with cam surfaces, and portions of said plug being formed with cam surfaces cooperating with the first-mentioned cam surfaces, whereby With drawal movement of the plug relative to the receiver produces laterally inward deflection of the spring-pressed portions of the prongs so as to dislodge the locking portions from the locking shoulders and allow the prongs to be withdrawn from the channels, and means connecting said prongs to the plug to permit limited axial move, ment of the plug relative to the prongs so as to allow said cam surfaces to act on the prongs to release them from looking position, said connecting means consisting of a pair of pins with an upset portion between them arranged in accoma modating openings in said plug.

JOHN BERNARD CAMPBELL 

